Hemab Therapeutics, which is developing prophylactic therapeutics for “underserved” bleeding and thrombotic disorders, this week announced the closing of an oversubscribed $135 million Series B financing. Access Biotechnology led the round, with participation from new investors Deep Track Capital, Avoro Ventures, Invus, Rock Springs Capital, and Maj Invest Equity, as well as all current investors Novo Holdings, RA Capital Management, and HealthCap.
“Strong investor confidence—in this case, an upsized round and more than $200 million in demand—is a testament to the expertise of the Hemab team, their validated scientific approach, and the opportunity to bring long-overdue innovation to patients living with severe bleeding and thrombotic diseases,” said John Maraganore, PhD, chair of Hemab’s board of directors.
The financing will support Hemab’s scientific and corporate growth plans through 2025, including completion of an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of lead candidate HMB-001 in Glanzmann Thrombasthenia, initiation of pivotal studies, start and completion of Phase 1/2 clinical evaluation for HMB-VWF in von Willebrand disease, and future pipeline evolution in accordance with the company’s Hemab 1-2-5 strategic guidance—which aims to develop five clinical assets by 2025.
Glanzmann is a rare inherited clotting disorder. An initial readout from the HMB-001 trial is expected in the second half of this year.
HMB-001 is bispecific antibody that binds and stabilizes endogenous factor VIIa (FVIIa) with one antibody arm and TLT-1 on activated platelets with the other arm. This allows for accumulation of FVIIa, recruitment of FVIIa directly to the surface of the activated platelets where it is known to facilitate clotting, and avoidance of clotting activity in the absence of tissue damage.
“Many patients with Glanzmann suffer from frequent and potentially life-threatening bleed events. Despite that, we have concerningly few effective and no prophylactic treatment options to offer them, often relying on platelet transfusions, antifibrinolytics, or acute use of recombinant factor VIIa,” said Suthesh Sivapalaratnam, MD, PhD, consultant of Pediatric and Adult Hemostasis and Thrombosis at The Royal London Hospital, in an earlier company release.
The trial was supported by preclinical data showing HMB-001 potentiates FVIIa-dependent fibrin formation on platelets in Glanzmann and accumulates FVIIa to levels that are considered therapeutically effective.
“Hemab is fundamentally reimagining the treatment paradigm for underserved bleeding and thrombotic disorders. This financing will allow us to progress our clinical programs for the first prophylactic treatments for Glanzmann Thrombasthenia and von Willebrand Disease, delivering functional cures for patients in need,” said Benny Sorensen, MD, PhD, CEO & president of Hemab.
“As founding investor and the company’s largest shareholder, we are excited to support Hemab in the next phase of its plan to build the ultimate clotting company, with a Nordic foundation and global footprint,” said Jørgen Søberg Petersen, MD, PhD, MBA, partner at Novo Holdings.
Hemab also announced Dan Becker, MD, PhD, managing director at Access, and Uya Chuluunbaatar, PhD, partner at Avoro Ventures, will join as directors. Christine Borowski, PhD, vice president at Access, will join as a Board Observer.